Sometimes those last minute trips just work out. This was one of those times! We got an incredible deal on some air fare and decided to leave snowy, cold Chicago and travel to warm, sunny Florida. Well, it was certainly warmer - but it was COLD for Florida. We saw more than a few winter coats walking the streets! One weatherman actually said that they might break some records with low temperatures in the 30's. We did escape the first real snowstorm of the season, with more than 6 inches of snow and really cold temperatures. That brought a smile to Ken's face!
We started our trip with a visit to Ken's sisters. It was wonderful to see them since we have not seen them for several years. We had time to visit and also time to explore around Marco Island and see some amazing sunsets.
We moved on to Miami Beach. We took the Tamiami Trail which takes you through the Everglades. It was worth the small amount of extra time for the drive with a view. Ken has always wanted to photograph the Art Deco area of Miami Beach. Little did we know, the weekend we decided to visit was the "Art Deco Festival" weekend! Even though it was chilly, the beach was amazing.
We ate at lots of outdoor cafes and walked and walked and walked. We had one day of rain but we managed to still enjoy ourselves. We never made it into the Atlantic Ocean - it was just very cold, but we enjoyed walking the beach. It was a nice few days, but it was very crowded. I don't think I would ever go back, however Ken said he would!
Leaving Miami, we drove up to Venice, Florida taking mostly the back roads. We saw lots of interesting fields of crops - some we never could identify. It sort of looked like clumps of really tall plants with some grain looking things of the top? And there were lots of Orange Groves filled with soon to be harvested oranges. Also lots of cows and horses. It was a nice change from traveling the interstate.
The beaches of Venice and Nokomis are Ken's favorite part of Florida. He spent lots of time here from the time he was really small, when his grandparents retired to Nokomis. Ken remembers the area when it was much less crowded and much less developed. Most of Casey Key is covered with houses now. And the entire area is built up. From the Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico, we walked the beaches!
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We took time to drive by the house that Ken's grandparents owned in Nokomis. I am sure that the current owners wondered why we were driving by slowly and stopping for pictures.
Vacations are interesting. You can visit brand new locations or revisit areas that hold fond memories. The one thing that you can not control is the weather. You can always expect that you will have some bad weather. For us, it was bitter sweet visiting Marco since Ken's dad has died. We had many good memories of visiting him each year that he lived there. While it was fun visiting Miami Beach for the first time, it is also nice to RE-VISIT beaches that have been a part of family pictures for years and years. We have a picture of Ken on Nokomis beach when he was only a couple years old. While it was nice to see Grandma and Grandpa Bakers house, it was certainly a reminder of the passage of time.
Reflecting on the last week, I am missing my own siblings. I am also thinking about visiting some of my childhood favorite places. I guess that means Ken and I will have to plan a trip to South Dakota and Minnesota sometime in the future!
Being by water is for sure my happy place. And we have certainly been by water on this trip. Usually I am able to spend time just reading, praying and listening. This trip has been a bit different and I haven't really had that time. But the one thing that has been coming to mind, over and over, is that I need to do a better job putting words onto a page in this blog. It is already the 21st of January and this is my first blog of the year. I will be making time to share more regularly so hopefully I will get inspiration for the time ahead. For now, I am just very thankful for this time away and for the warmer weather. It has felt like such a blessing to be here.
Some things I have learned on this trip...
*Sometimes the cheapest rental car is not the fastest! But I am thankful for the car!
*Hotels in Miami don't have heat in their rooms? At least they provided small heaters!
*Always make sure you get breakfast with your hotel room.. There was a small bakery close by!
*January is cold in Florida. But the water is still beautiful!
*Don't take a room facing a pool and bar in Miami! However it was nice to have a covered patio in the rain!
*Earplugs don't drown out the very loud music at 3am! The hotel comped our room night!
Jesus, I know that you are always with me. Thank you for reminding me that your love surrounds and protects us. Holy Spirit, help us all to appreciate times away from our regular routines. Jesus help us all to step away from our day to day things and to spend time with you even when we are at home. Thank you for memories and reminders of the past and also for those new experiences that become treasured memories. And thank you for helping me see the bright side of some odd travel experiences. Amen
